The present invention relates generally to wheel trim retention means and more particularly to such retention means employing a band having a plurality of primary retention means secured to the outer surface thereof which are adapted to bitingly engage a portion of the wheel and which may include a remotely located secondary retention means provided on the band which is designed to be actuated by a primary retention means.
Wheel covers and trim rings have long been in use on motor vehicles both to protect and to decorate the wheel. One of the major problems associated with the manufacture and use of these wheel trims has been to design reliable and inexpensive retention means to removably secure the trim to the wheel. In use, wheels are subject to a great variety of vibrations and other forces which the retention means must be capable of withstanding and yet the retention means must still allow the trim to be easily removed such as for tire changes or the like. Compounding this problem is the desire to keep the cost of these trim members and their associated retaining means as low as possible, to minimize interference with the aesthetic design of the trim, and to prevent annoying rattle and relative rotation between the trim member and the wheel.
One method which is used to retain various types of trim members to vehicle wheels employs a biting type clip member secured to the rim facing side of a retention band by a pair of rivets and a trim member having a portion crimped over this retention band. Indentations are provided on the retention band to enable the tooth carrying arms of the clip member to move radially inward as the wheel trim is placed on the wheel rim. This arrangement is relatively costly to manufacture in that each clip member requires two rivets to secure it and the retention band must be locally deformed to provide the indentations for accommodating the movement of the tooth carrying arms. Further, the retention force exerted between the toothed members and the wheel will be transmitted to the retention band and cause localized radially inward deformation thereof in the area of engagement between the clip members and retention band. This deformation results in a lessening of the retention force that the teeth are able to exert upon the wheel.
Another technique to retain wheel trim involves the use of clip members secured to the radially inner side of a retention band and having toothed projections extending radially outward through apertures provided in the retention band so as to engage a portion of the wheel. This arrangement allows the use of a single rivet to secure the clip members to the retention band as the toothed members projecting through the apertures will cooperate therewith to prevent rotation of the clip member with respect to the retention band. However, as only a single rivet is used, it must be of substantial strength as must the retention band for all the retention forces are transmitted directly from the clip member through the rivet to the retention band. Accordingly, substantially heavier gauge material must be used in manufacturing the retention band so as to prevent the rivet from pulling out.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a retention band having means suitable for securely and removably retaining various types of trim members, such as wheel covers or trim rings, to a vehicle wheel which overcomes these disadvantages. The retention band of the present invention has a primary retention means comprising a plurality of biting members each secured by a single rivet at spaced apart locations around the periphery thereof which engage a portion of the vehicle wheel. Additionally, a remotely located secondary retention means may be provided which is actuated by primary retention means and engages another portion of the vehicle wheel to form a mechanical interlock thereby insuring the trim member will not be dislodged by vibrations or other forces exerted thereon. Further, thinner gauge material may be used in fabricating the retention band as the clip member is secured to the radially outer surface thereof thus distributing the retention forces over a broader surface area. Rotation or twisting of the clip member relative to the retention band is also effectively precluded by providing a relatively close fit between a portion of the tooth carrying arms of the clip member and apertures in the retention band. These features allow the present invention to be manufactured at a relatively low unit cost while still providing a safe, positive, and reliable retention means which is suitable for use with trim members of most any design.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the claims and appended drawings.